


The Little Ways

by electrictoes



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Family Fluff, Fluff, Gen, I squinted, It's Rollisi if you squint, Mother's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-22 10:00:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30036963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/electrictoes/pseuds/electrictoes
Summary: Mother's Day in the Rollins' household - it's fluff, I can give no more promises than that
Comments: 12
Kudos: 13





	The Little Ways

**Author's Note:**

> It's Mother's Day here today - we can say this is set whenever US Mother's Day is this year, but I had the feelings now, so!

Amanda woke to the sound of voices in her apartment - the excited half-whispers of her two daughters, and a third familiar voice whispering back. She sat up in bed, flicking on her bedside lamp and heard the little voices growing louder and the sound of small feet walking towards her room - beyond that she heard the front door close, just as her bedroom door was pushed open a crack, tiny hands curling around the edge of the door.

“Careful, Billie,” Jesse’s whisper carried through the door as Billie came into the room - she was carrying a plastic plate with four slices of toast balanced precariously on top. She grinned up at Amanda, her feet moving quickly as she began to run towards the bed excitedly.

“It’s Momma Day!” Billie shouted as she crashed into the bed; the toast slid from the plate, landing on the covers. “Uh oh,” Billie said, turning back to Jesse.

“I said careful,” Jesse admonished - she had walked into the bedroom too; she was carrying a coffee mug carefully, both hands curled around it - her gaze was holding steady on the mug, careful not to spill its contents.

“What’s all this, girls?” Amanda asked, sitting up. She swept the toast back onto the plate, brushing the crumbs from the bed.

“It’s breakfast!” Jesse said, “For Mother’s Day.”

Jesse held out the coffee mug carefully and Amanda smiled at both girls as she reached out to take it, “Well thank you both, you gonna come up and help me eat this toast?”

Jesse leaned down to whisper in Billie’s ear, and they both ran from the room again, Billie giggling as they went. She took a sip from the mug - it was surprisingly good coffee. She lifted a slice of toast while she waited for the girls to return - butter had been haphazardly spread over the toast, and it was cold, but Amanda appreciated the effort Jesse and Billie had gone to all the same.

She heard them running back to the room, Billie carrying a card and a box of chocolates; Jesse was just behind her, half concealed by the enormous bunch of flowers in her hand.

Amanda's heart warmed at the sight, and she took the gifts gratefully and helped the girls up onto the bed. “This is amazing, girls,” she hugged them both close, pressing kisses to their cheeks. “How did you- Jess, did you make breakfast?”

“I did the toast in the toaster,” she said proudly, “I’m not allowed to touch the coffee machine,” she said, “so I got help.”

“From who?” Amanda asked - she had her suspicions; she was fairly sure she hadn’t imagined Carisi’s voice when she woke up.

Jesse shrugged, smiling sweetly. “Look at the card, Momma.”

It was a handmade card - brightly coloured with a picture of three blonde figures on the front; _Happy Mother’s Day_ had been written inside in familiar handwriting; Jesse had signed her name beneath it in block capitals, next to it was another scribble in pink crayon which she assumed was Billie’s doing. “It’s a beautiful card,” she smiled. She put the card on her bedside table, then held out the plate of toast to each of the girls and they ate together - Amanda didn’t even mind the crumbs in the bed.

“Thank you for these beautiful flowers,” she said, smiling at her girls, their faces specked with toast crumbs and matching grins on their faces. “And for my breakfast, it’s very special.”

“You’re the best momma in the world,” Jesse said, “Me an’ Billie love you this much,” she spread her arms as wide as they would go, and Billie mimicked her. 

She drew them in for another hug, “I love you both so much, you’re the best daughters any momma could have.” She pressed kisses to each of their foreheads. “I’m gonna find a vase for these flowers and then we can all get dressed and go out to the park, how’s that sound?”

“I wanna do whatever you wanna do, Momma,” Jesse said, climbing down from the bed. Amanda lifted Billie to the ground and she followed Jesse down the hall to their bedroom. 

Amanda was just putting the flowers onto the counter top when Jesse arrived in the kitchen fully dressed. “I picked out an outfit for Billie, Momma,” she said, smiling up at her.

“Thanks baby,” she smiled, “Jess, where did you get the flowers from?”

“The store,” Jesse said, looking up at her with a baffled expression. 

Amanda nodded, “Yeah, okay. I meant - did Uncle Sonny help you with all this?”

Jesse shook her head, “I can’t tell you Momma, it’s a secret.”

  
They walked to the park together, Amanda holding Frannie’s lead in one hand while Billie tugged on the other; Jesse skipped along beside them chattering away.

“Do you guys want to go on the swings?”

“If that’s what you want!” Jesse said excitedly, “It’s Mother’s Day you get to pick.”

Amanda smiled at her eldest child; not even six years old and already putting so much energy into making other people happy; it warmed Amanda’s heart to see the person Jesse was growing up into; even if it did feel like minutes since Amanda had first brought her home from the hospital. That first night in the apartment, just her and Jesse after the rest of their makeshift family had said goodnight, she had lain awake just staring at her daughter, filled with wonder that she could feel so much love for something so tiny. Amanda could barely reconcile her life now with the old Amanda, the one who swore she’d never have kids - she couldn’t imagine not having her girls in her life; of all the things she was and had been, being their mom was definitely the best.

She led the girls into the park and towards the swings - Billie squealed in delight as Amanda put her into the baby swing, Jesse taking a seat on the next swing over. “I can do swings by myself now, Momma,” Jesse said, “So you can push Billie.”

Amanda laughed, gently pushing Billie in the swing and watching as Jesse kicked her legs back and forth - Jesse enjoyed being independent and she liked to remind them of everything she could do by herself - Amanda couldn’t really blame her, since she knew exactly where Jesse had picked it up from.

It was a warm day, and Frannie - used to playground diversions on their regular walks - was lying on the grass nearby, watching as the girls played. They stayed on the swings until the playground began to get busier. Jesse flung herself off the swing while it was still in motion when Amanda told her it was time to go, landing on her feet with a grin; Amanda shook her head at her as she lifted Billie to the ground - this new daredevil streak another thing to remind her that her baby wasn’t a baby anymore. 

Jesse took Billie’s hand and the two of them skipped alongside Amanda as they finished Frannie’s walk, Amanda watching them carefully; Billie wasn’t really a baby anymore either; Amanda didn’t know where the time was going, it was like she’d blinked and they grew up in an instant. They were thick as thieves and Amanda knew that before long they’d be running rings around her - Jesse was going to be wild, and Billie copied everything Jesse did, so she knew the chaos was coming - but she relished it, relished seeing the bond between them, and watching them form their own personalities.

When they got back to the apartment Amanda put Billie down for a nap while Jesse lay on the couch, dramatically claiming she was “too tired to move, Momma”.

Amanda made herself a coffee and took the opportunity to send a text to Carisi while things were quiet. She knew he was in Staten Island visiting his own mother - it was why she hadn’t invited him over this Sunday, she knew how much he valued time with his parents, and his mom had been excited to have all of her children home for the day. She wrote and deleted several texts, variations on thanking him and calling him out for plotting with her five year old, eventually settling on _Hope you’re having a good day with your mom - call you later?_

He replied within minutes. _Sure. Everything okay?_

She replied to tell him not to worry, and then set about making lunch for the girls; Jesse perked up at the mention of food - always eager to help out in the kitchen even if she was only making sandwiches.

The rest of the day was quiet and relaxed, just her and her girls - it was the best way to spend any Sunday. After baths and bedtime stories, she pressed goodnight kisses to each of the girls’ foreheads - Billie already out for the count. Jesse looked up at her, “Momma, was it a good day?”

“It was the best,” Amanda assured her. “Thank you.”

Jesse grinned up at her.

After turning off the light and walking back to the living room, Amanda picked up her phone and dialled Carisi’s number. He answered on the second ring.

“Hey Rollins,” he said; he sounded happy to hear from her.

“Hey Carisi, you home?”

“Yeah, I just got back,” she could hear him moving around his apartment; the sound of him dropping his keys onto the counter top and footsteps as he crossed the room; he probably had literally just walked in the door. 

“How was your mom?”

“She’s good - she was just happy havin’ us all there; wouldn’t even let me help cook,” he laughed fondly.

“Good, that’s good,” she paused, “So, funny thing, Jesse had a secret helper organise flowers and chocolates and breakfast for me this morning. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”

“No idea what you’re talking about,” he said quickly.

“Really? Because I’m pretty sure I heard you in my apartment when I woke up this morning.”

“You must be imaginin’ things,” he said, “But good to know you dream about me.”

Amanda rolled her eyes and hoped he could tell even over the phone. “I recognised your handwriting in the card, Carisi.”

“Hey…” he said, sighing, “It was all Jesse’s idea, she just asked for some help.”

“Carisi.”

“You deserve to be spoiled today, Rollins,” he sounded so sincere; he meant what he was saying - it wasn’t the first time he’d said something like that, but it still gave her a warm feeling that she wasn’t quite ready to own up to. 

“It’s not your responsibility to-”

He cut her off. “Jesse’s my goddaughter - she asks me for help and I’m givin’ it; doesn’t hurt if that also means I get to make sure you’re bein’ treated the way you deserve.” The sincerity was still there in his voice - she found it difficult sometimes to accept when he said things like this, the way he got riled up when he thought she wasn’t being given all he believed she was worthy of - and that was the part she wasn’t ready to explore, the idea that Carisi thought she was worthy of more than she’d ever believed herself. 

She bit her lip. “Thank you.”

“It’s nothin’,” he said, “All I really did was sneak takeout coffee in an’ pour it out for Jesse. She was tryin’ to convince me to teach her to use the machine.”

She laughed at the image of him creeping into her apartment just to pour out a coffee. “Carisi, you’re too good to us… to me.”

“I’m not,” she could hear his smile through the phone. “Like I said, you deserve it. So, what did you and the girls get up to?”

“We went to the park with Frannie, then we came home and watched Disney movies and ordered takeout - it wasn't big, but we spent the whole day together and it was… it was the best day, Carisi. Thank you - again.”

“It really was Jesse’s idea, Rollins. She picked out the flowers an’ everything. She just wanted to make it special for you.”

“It was,” she smiled into the phone, glancing down the hallway towards the girls’ bedroom. “Now, tell me about your day.”


End file.
